John George Kemeny facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
John George Kemeny
|
|
|---|---|
 |
|
| 13th President of Dartmouth College | |
| In office 1970–1981 |
|
| Preceded by | John Sloan Dickey |
| Succeeded by | David T. McLaughlin |
| Personal details | |
| Born | May 31, 1926 Budapest, Hungary |
| Died | December 26, 1992 (aged 66) Hanover, New Hampshire, United States |
| Education | Princeton University (BA), (PhD) in Mathematics |
| Awards | Computer Pioneer Award (1985) |
John George Kemeny was an important American mathematician and computer scientist. He was born in Budapest, Hungary, on May 31, 1926. He passed away on December 26, 1992.
Kemeny is most famous for helping to create the BASIC programming language in 1964. He worked with Thomas E. Kurtz on this project. Kemeny also served as the 13th president of Dartmouth College from 1970 to 1981. He was a leader in bringing computers into college education. In 1979, he led a special group that looked into the Three Mile Island accident.
Some people, like György Marx, considered Kemeny one of "The Martians". This was a group of smart Hungarian scientists who moved to the United States in the early 1900s.
Contents
Kemeny's Career in Computers and Education
John Kemeny joined the Mathematics Department at Dartmouth College in 1953. He was only 27 years old at the time. Two years later, he became the head of the department. He held this important job until 1967.
Creating BASIC and Time-Sharing
Kemeny and Thomas Kurtz wanted to make computers easier for everyone to use. After some early tests, they created the BASIC programming language in 1964. BASIC stands for "Beginner's All-purpose Symbolic Instruction Code."
They also developed one of the world's first time-sharing systems. This system was called the Dartmouth Time-Sharing System (DTSS). Time-sharing allowed many people to use the same computer at the same time. This was a big step forward for computers. In 1974, Kemeny and Kurtz received an award for their work on BASIC and time-sharing.
Leading Dartmouth College
Kemeny became the president of Dartmouth College in 1970. He was president until 1981. Even as president, he continued to teach students and do his own research.
He led Dartmouth when it started allowing both male and female students in 1972. Kemeny believed that knowing how to use computers was as important as knowing how to read. He made Dartmouth a leader in letting students use computers. After his time as president, he went back to teaching full-time in 1982.
In 1983, Kemeny and Kurtz started a company called True BASIC, Inc. They wanted to sell an updated version of their programming language, called True BASIC.
Later Life and Passing
John Kemeny passed away on December 26, 1992. He was 66 years old. He died from heart failure in Hanover, New Hampshire. He had lived nearby in Etna, New Hampshire, close to the Dartmouth College campus.
Images for kids
-
This plaque honors John George Kemeny. It is on the wall of his old home.
See also
In Spanish: John G. Kemeny para niños
